This recipe for Strawberry-Blueberry Vanilla Chex Bars is a gluten-free treat that does not require baking
The realization that my family’s trashy yet great ritual of providing frozen-then-thawed Pepperidge Farms cake for everyone’s birthday is now off limits was probably one of the most significant wah-wah moments that occurred after we made the decision to go gluten-free. Yes, no. That’s right. Oh, NOOOOO!
Back in the 1980s, my father made the mistake of forgetting my mother’s birthday, which is how this long-standing tradition got its start (way to go, Pops!). Being in a state of stress and lacking any particular preparations, he hurriedly went to the grocery shop after work and grabbed the very first cake he saw. It was a vanilla birthday cake from Pepperidge Farms, and it was located in the frozen section of the store. God delivered him! So he believed it to be.
In the process of attempting to cut into the still-frozen confection after the candles had been blown out, he was unfortunate enough to discover that the cake takes between four and six hours to thaw in the refrigerator. He had no idea that this was the case. To a point. Destroyed. Fortunately, after a little heating in the microwave, we were all able to have cake that was partially frozen and partially thawed, but guess what? Since that time, we have considered it to be so excellent that we have served it during the birthday celebrations of every member of our family.
Since I won’t be able to enjoy a delicious cake that is also gluten-free for my birthday the next week, I’m going to ask for these bad boys instead. Despite the fact that they are completely free of gluten, Strawberry-Blueberry Vanilla Chex Bars have the flavor of vanilla birthday cake that is topped with the sweet flavor of strawberries, blueberries, and white chocolate.
A variation on the Strawberry Shortcake No Bake Treat Bars that I created earlier this spring, which were a huge hit at my house, these no-bake goodies that only take ten minutes to prepare are a perfect example. A firecracker-like tribute to the Fourth of July is created by combining vanilla Chex cereal with freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries. This mixture is then combined, in the form of Rice Krispie Treats, with liquid marshmallows that have been melted. Use a press to press into a dish, then slice and enjoy!
Ben is not someone who enjoys desserts, unless cupcakes are being presented to him, in which case he will consume them in a single bite regardless of the circumstances. Aside from that, he declared these bars to be “It is the most incredible thing ever. Ever, ever, and evermore.” I concur with you.
In all seriousness, the flavor of the freeze-dried fruit, when combined with the creamy white chocolate chips and the crunchy vanilla chex, is absolutely out of this world. Not only that, but the Fourth of July celebrations can’t get any more joyful. I assure you that these will be the very first items to be removed from the spread a week from now!
Did I mention that the preparation of these just takes ten minutes? With this small ankle biter climbing around, it is possible to combine, push, and slice in a short amount of time! 😉
First Step
To begin, take one box of Vanilla Chex, which Ben and I both think are the component that gives these bars their incredible quality. These are just the right amount of sugary, and they taste exactly like birthday cake!
The entire box should be poured into a very large bowl, and then an equal amount of freeze-dried blueberries and strawberries should be added. Are you not impressed by how patriotic it is? I discovered these at Trader Joe’s, but I have seen a number of other brands in the “health food” department of the supermarket store.
Not to be confused with dried fruit, freeze-dried fruit is not the same thing. It’s possible that dried blueberries and strawberries might work well in this recipe, but I haven’t tried them yet, and I have a feeling that they would turn out a little bit chewy.
Second:
After that, add three-quarters of a cup of white chocolate chips and combine everything thoroughly. Due to the fact that I am on the verge of becoming obsessed with white chocolate, I decided to utilize the red, white, and blue theme as a good excuse to include some of it.
It is time to get gummy. Put a ten-ounce bag of mini marshmallows in a big bowl that is safe for the microwave, add a quarter cup of melted butter, and mix the mixture so that the marshmallows are coated. Followed by stirring until smooth, microwave for one minute.
All done?
As soon as possible, pour the marshmallows over the chex mixture, and then stir them together to ensure that they are equally coated. Once the mixture has been scooped into a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray, flatten it into a uniform layer. Following the application of spray to the bottom of this pyrex measuring glass, I used it to press. This worked out wonderfully.
The tops of the bars can be decorated with more freeze-dried strawberries and blueberries for a festive touch (this step is completely optional), and then the bars should be allowed to set for around twenty minutes. To serve, slice the bread!
Leave a Reply